A Thought on Anniversaries

Saturday March 25th marked the one year anniversary of this blog. I had tons of ideas to commemorate the day with redesign, migration, launching my other arabic blog, or simply a special reflective post… yet the irony was that I found myself suffering what you’d call a writer’s block. Not a blogger’s block, mind you, because there are so many things that I want to blog about… it was the actual writing that just refused to come to me, combined perhaps with a pre-occupied mind, and a hectic busy schedule.

It’s been an amazing year… crazy, rich, intense, marked with transitions, and a lot of change, discovery, and growth. But I don’t think I can capture all of that in this post. I had a lot of attempts, but whatever I wrote ended up as a saved draft that will remain indefinitely tucked away as 0’s and 1’s on some remote server. Perhaps. Or perhaps I will decide to share it on an insignificant day, just because I feel like it. Correction, I don't think there's a thing as 'insignificant day'. It’s an interesting human characteristic, attempting to give some unique meaning to a particular point in time, and then feeling an obligation towards it… New Year’s Resolutions, Birthdays, Mother’s Day, the last exam I ever took at university, the day I started my blog… the list could go on and on. Why do I feel guilty for having let the 25th of March pass without writing anything special on the occasion??

So, now that I got this off my chest, regular posting can hopefully resume. Migration, redesign, and the Arabic blog are no longer under the ‘anniversary pressure’, and there’s no more excuse for not writing about all the other topics I’ve been wanting to blog during this week (ok no excuse other than the crazy schedule and a natural human need for some sleep at night, but that can be managed ;) )

Meanwhile, here’s an addition to this week’s list of activities around Amman:
Premiere Screening of Palestinian Film "Waiting", by director Rashid Masharawi, at the Zara Expo Auditorium. Friday March 31st, at 7:00 PM. It will be followed by a Q&A session, an award ceremony for the cast and crew, and a reception. Invitation is open. For more info check here.

Culture Vulture (Part II of Hanging out in Amman)

When my sisters and I were much younger, our favorite place in Amman was Ice-Cream house, on 7th circle. Every time my dad asked where we felt like going on Thursday evening, we would debate and think and vote, and then end up saying "5alas yalla bayt el booza" (forget it let's just go to ice-cream house). My mom would just sigh and say: "Aaaakh there is nothing to do in Amman except sit somewhere and eat!!"

I don't know at what point exactly, some years ago, we started discovering all the concerts organized by the National Music Conservatory, the Amman Municipality, or different embassies and cultural centers, and we became regulars. Summer was always high season for such events, but we'd still keep our eyes open all-year round, and generally we're not disappointed.

Then, last year, someone told me that "Amman is soooo boring, it's just dead"… and well, I decided to start that little "Amman this Month" block to let people know that there are plenty of things happening around town that they didn't know about. Well, I have to admit I haven't been doing a good job with the updates, but that's because I'm either busy or lazy, and not for lack of events… I have serious plans to remedy that so perhaps y'all will forgive me :)

I am not claiming that Amman is as culturally vibrant and entertaining as Cairo or Beirut, but Amman is definitely changing and becoming more active and interesting, with a lot to do and enjoy. There's a general sentiment that any fun you want to have in Jordan is expensive, which is NOT TRUE, at least for most of the quality cultural activities I've been enjoying…

When I think of last summer; the municipality's great initiative in the Wakalat street, the JARA Flea Market, concerts in the Hussein Gardens, the Citadel, and other interesting places, Global Village, the Battle of the Bands, the RFC's "Summer, Stars, and Cinema" weekly series… plus a myriad of other events and things to do around town… well, I definitely look forward to an even more exciting and dynamic summer this year.

And for those of you who are always faced with the question: "what can we do other than sit somewhere to eat or pay 5JDs for a stupid Hollywood movie?" Here's a selection of what's taking place this week:

Today, Saturday 25th:
A Celebration of Jordanian Products at Wild Jordan, with food, crafts, music, and entertainment all day.

Canadian film "Littoral", at the Hussein Cultural Center in Ras El- Ein, at 7:30 PM

Sunday 26th:

INK are performing free funk, reggae, rock, and blues at Blue Fig, from 9:00 till 11:00

Monday 27th:

An outlook on French Cinema, Serge Frydman's "Mon Ange", at Le Royal, at 9:00 PM

Tuesday 28th (tough choices ;) )

"California Roll"; Contemporary Dance Performance at the Hussein Cultural Center, at 7:00 PM (ticket 2 JDs)

A Palestinian Belgian film, “Fertile Memory”, at the Shoman Cinema Forum, at 6:30 PM (free entry)

Oriental Fusion Concert, with Edwardo Niebla (Guitar), Sanju Sahai (Indian Tabla) and Nawazen – Elia Khouri, at the Terra Sancta Cultural Center, at 8:00 PM (free entry)

Wednesday 29th:
"California Roll"; Contemporary Dance Performance at the Hussein Cultural Center, at 7:00 PM (ticket 2 JDs)

From March 27th till April 5th, the 12th International Amman Theatre Festival (I will get the details of the event's agenda soon)

Friday 31st: Walk for Life, a charity fundraising walk at the Sports City Forest at 10:00 AM (tickets 4 JDs)

Saturday April 1st: Korean Film Festival Organized by the Shoman Cinema Forum.

There are also over a dozen art exhibitions in different galleries across town. A quick list is here (this link is active for about a week)

There are some interesting events in the first week of April as well, but I'll list them for you next Friday nshalla.

Meanwhile, I hope you have yourself a lovely week :)

Amazing Historical Fiction - Samarkand

I finished reading "Samarkand" yesterday morning; another great historical novel by Amin Ma'alouf. I was reading the Arabic translation, given to me by someone with whom I've had the most interesting conversation about society's need for radical people, and for people passionate about change.

This book was an amazing read… it took me longer than usual because I couldn't make as much time as I wanted for reading, but the moments I spent with it were precious, very enjoyable times. I found myself completely sucked into that vivid and fascinating history of a time and place where astrologer, mathematician, and poet Omar Al-Khayyam lived, and his friends Nitham Al-Mulk, the Suljuk premier who had established many schools across the Muslim world, and Hassan Al Sabbah, leader of the Ismaili sect of the 'assassins'.


Reading the book, you wouldn't help but feel attachment and great admiration to Omar Al-Khayyam, who embodied the values of free thinking, who was a non-conformist, and someone whose legacy lived centuries past him. You would also feel drawn into the rich and intriguing world of Persia and the Muslim empire… you would feel the aura and mystique of great cities like Samarkand, Asfahan, Tabriz, Shiraz, and many others. You would want to lay hands on the manuscript of Khayyam's Ruba'iat, and enjoy his beautiful, deep, yet unpretentious poetry.

"Samarkand" is the story of this manuscript, from its inception while Khayyam was a guest of Nizam Al Mulk, throughout the adventures and journeys it had to undertake across Persia, through love, war, and turmoil, until it reappeared centuries later, and sank with the Titanic in 1912.

All the while I was wondering how true the historical references were. For some reason, it would've been such a disappointment to find out that most of it was just a figment of Ma'louf's imagination. Yet googling most of those references after I finished the novel, I was amazed by how Amin Ma'louf captured this incredibly rich history in such a wonderfully woven work of fiction.

The second part of the book, which takes place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, recounts the tale of Persia's fragile young democracy, the freedom fighters, and the constitutional revolution of Tabriz. A young American had come to Persia in a fervent search for the Samarkand Manuscript, and his story is woven with the revolution's. Reading history novel-style is so gripping, and Ma'louf is a master of it.

The book left me thirsty for more, and got me thinking about a lot of issues as well. One of those was the mention of the Mongol invasions, and how they completely destroyed libraries, burning down invaluable books and manuscripts… we did study in school about how they burnt down the great library of Baghdad, but reading about it this time, it left me feeling so angry, and sad! I was thinking of all the history lost, of all that could've been passed on.

Another thought, is how history is written by the conqueror, and how eventually, centuries down the road, all that is left is distorted, one-sided, or incomplete stories. I wonder how the history of this era will be presented hundreds of years from now… suddenly, I am even more grateful for blogs. Imagine being able to read the diaries of a regular citizen, a young person, an old man, who lived during, say, the 15th century. Imagine, for example, a native Indian writing about the time when Columbus discovered their continent.

Ok I'm going off topic here. So, back to where we started, I absolutely adore the book, and highly recommend it to everyone. I am going downtown to hunt for the "Samarkand Manuscript" with Khayyam's complete Ruba'iat.

Hanging out in Amman (Part I)

“Hey Lina, is this afternoon good for that coffee?”

“Sure, how about 4:30?”

“Great. Books? Or somewhere else?”

For some reason Amanda’s latest post popped up in my mind, where she said that it was usually the same 3 or 4 cafes that one can go to in Amman. My reaction when I first read her post was that most people don’t really know how many interesting places there are around town and how many fun things one can do.

I posed before sending a reply to my friend; Think of a nice new place Lina, someplace different, someplace interesting to check out… think.

And then I remembered that small gallery/café that I always pass by in Rainbow street, the one that Roba had mentioned quite a while back; Duinde.

“Hey Mary, yeah Books is good, but there’s this other gallery/café down Rainbow street that I’ve wanted to check out, wanna give it a try?”

And so Duinde it was. When I got there, I was surprised by how small, cozy, and comfortable it was. Paintings, pieces of artwork, and old furniture were scattered around the place… a lot of diverse items that didn’t seem to match, but that gave it such a warm feeling. As I took a look around, I stopped at one of the paintings with a sudden “Oooohhh now I get it”!! I hope I’m not ruining the experiment Roba ;)

Fairouz music was playing the whole time. The menu was a bit limited, with most of the coffee options unavailable, but that didn’t make it any less enjoyable. I truly recommend this place, whether you want to have a wonderful conversation with a good friend, or just sit by yourself to read or write.



I’ve been trying to avoid Starbucks and Barneys lately, not just because I’d choose Jabal Amman over Abdoun any time of the day, but because I’m on the lookout for the small more authentic hangouts. I admit that Amman probably doesn’t have enough of those, but I still think there’s a lot that people are missing out on.

I have a few extra points to share on the topic, but I have to get back to work now. Stay tuned for an update coming soon.

Springtime in Jordan :)

In a beautiful area called "Jbail" between Amman and Madaba. A perfect way to spend your Friday catching your breath away from the hustle bustle of your week, with your mobile silenced and tucked away, a good book in hand, family and friends getting together for a nice barbequeue and celebration of Grandma's 75th birthday, and such peaceful surroundings that invite you to go out for a long refreshing run in the fields.

I'm keeping this post short, and letting the pictures do the talking. The book I'm currently reading is Amin Ma'aloof's "Samarkand". I'm still half-way through but I'm enjoying it immensely and cannot wait to tell you all about it, very soon.

(click on pictures to enlarge)

At the Hussein Park

This is how I spent my lunch break. Today's weather was absolutely wonderful; fresh, cloudy, and occasionally windy... too lovely to be spent in a cubicle in front of a PC.

I tip my hat to the Greater Amman Municipality for their superb work on the Hussein Park. There is so much to this place, with more still under construction and in the plan.

I can't wait for summertime's open air concerts over there.

Anyways, here are some more pictures (click to enlarge). My favorite remains the first one above, of the railway.

Lest the Parliamentary Charade Continues

I'm sure many share the frustration and the boiling anger at what's been going on in our Parliament recently. In case you're out of the loop, read Khalaf's excellent post, to learn more about how our dear MPs have a twisted and distorted concept of Press Freedom and freedom of expression. Also check out Isam's post, and try to understand why the MPs think that Jordan Television is "too open".

Here's the thing… sometimes I ask myself, what if those of us who are totally shocked and disappointed by our Parliament's performance are a small segment that doesn't really reflect public opinion?? Could that be the case? Perhaps the majority of people here do think that any editor or journalist who publishes something deemed offensive to the "fathers of three monotheistic religions or their prophets" should be sent to jail (regardless of how fluid and relative 'offensive' is). Perhaps the majority of people do not want to see any controversial, un-orthodox opinions presented on Jordan Television, and God forbid that they deem acceptable any 'inappropriate' entertainment programs. It's ok to watch them on One, mbc2, Future, LBC... as long as they're not on National television. And perhaps, just perhaps, a large segment of our society finds that the current version of the law pertaining to honor crimes is quite fine and suitable for Jordan!

Or may be I'm being too pessimistic and it is in fact our Parliament that is somehow detached from the people it represents.

In any case, it's March 2006, and the Parliamentary elections are due for the Fall of 2007. Tribal lobbying has already started, in case you're wondering. Those who are planning to run for it have started visiting their close and distant relatives, and assessing their chances. Young optimistic idealistic me strongly believes that there is no way the government will leave the election law in its current format. They put forth too much talk about political development and reform, that if they just leave things as is for the 2007 elections, it will be the last straw… they will be handing a free gift to all the cynics, skeptics, and everyone who said and continues to say that Jordan's talk about reform and development is just that – Talk, PR, Image…

But then again, it isn't the government's responsibility to change the law, right? It's the Parliament's. Uh-Oh! How exactly is a parliament like ours going to vote for a new contemporary election law that is expected to give more strength to political parties (which are, up until this point, non-existent in the key-player loop except for the Islamic Action Front) as opposed to tribes, religion, and origin?

The government is good at getting the parliament to approve the laws it really wants… with a few good exceptions, like the income tax law, and the agriculture law… but generally speaking, I think it can still be done in the Jordanian-politics style, with the government finding a way to get the parliament to approve a new and modified law.

Ah… but why do I have a feeling that the government is half-hearted about it?

AND WHAT ON EARTH HAPPENED TO THE NATIONAL AGENDA????

Hmmm… let me ask you one thing as I wrap up this ranting session, if you had one vote in the next elections, what would you do with it? I think personally I'm going to try and find a female candidate who can represent my thoughts and beliefs, and who might be likely to actually do something about all the laws that are discriminative against women, and get actively involved in her campaign (wouldn't you agree Naseem? ;) ).

Lilja 4-Ever

I watched "Lilya 4-Ever" at the Shoman Cinema Forum this evening. This Swedish film, in which the dominant language is Russian, had won 12 awards, and reflects the tragic suffering of young Russian teenage girls who immigrated to Sweden, and who were exploited and pushed into prostitution and misery.



The movie is very sad and depressing. It tells the story of 16-year-old Lilya, whose single mother abandons her to go to the US with her boyfriend, leaving her daughter behind in a poor neighborhood of a crumbling Russian town. Lilya is forced to move into an old dirty apartment, and finds herself moneyless, slipping slowly into prostitution to be able to buy food and to support herself. She takes in a young boy, Volodya, after his father kicks him out of the house, and he remains with her like a little brother. She then meets a friend who cares for her, and with whom she spends jolly times, until he offers to take her along to Sweden, with promises of a good job and a happy life together.

I don't want to go on telling the story of the movie and spoiling it, although it wasn't difficult to completely see where it was going. I guess the beauty of the film isn't in the unfolding of the plot, but in the bitter truth it projects; the reality of which so many young girls across the world suffer.

As I was driving back home after the film, windows rolled down, cup of Chocolate Mint Latte in hand, and taking in the evening noise and familiar vibe of Amman, my mind started wandering. Less than a year ago I read an article in JO magazine talking about prostitution in Jordan. It was such a well-researched piece, and quite eye-opening to those of us who only hear about such things remotely and do not really imagine them taking place in our city. It told stories of young women who immigrated here, and who were being forced into prostitution. One woman said that ever since her husband lost his job, he got her into this (with some of his friends), as a source of income for the family.

As my thoughts wandered, I remembered how – as a little girl growing up – my parents were always warning me to be extra careful. They filled my head with stories about women raped by taxi drivers, about young girls going into small shops by themselves, and getting raped by the old shop owners in some room in the back, and that one story in Shihan about a young girl who was raped by her best friend's brother. The whole thing did haunt me for a while in my early teenage years, and I don't know at what point exactly I stopped giving these thoughts any space up in my head.

The traffic light turned green, and I drove on, but didn't make it. It turned red just as the last car in front of me drove past. And right then, a young girl with a pink veil got up from the side walk and approached my already-open window.

"Mishan Alla tsa3deeni" (help me for God's sake)

"What's your name?"

"Malak"

"Malak what are you doing here at this hour? Who brought you here?"

"My father is married to two women other than my mom, and he doesn't support us anymore"

"So is it him who brings you here?"

"No, I come here with my older sister. She's 17 years old, so she brings us and looks after us, she's over there at the other traffic light"

"Do you go to school?"

"Yes, I'm in fourth grade"

I gave her whatever change I found… "Study well and be a good student so you can look after yourself in the future. And take good care out here on the streets"

As I said it, I felt like a naïve self-centered do-gooder. Yeah, study well dear, that's easy for me to say. Take care out there on the streets… whatever that means. What can a 9-year-old do to protect herself?

The light turned green, and I drove back home, to my mom, dad, sisters and bro. The kitchen smelled of delicious coconut cookies, and Rasha asked me what I thought of the film…

"It was very good… and very sad."

"May be we'll watch next week's film together"

"Yeah… they say it's even better."

Celebrating Womanhood

I don't remember having been properly introduced to the International Women Day, March 8th, in my school years, But I was always very aware of it since childhood from my mom, who had studied in the previous Soviet Union for seven years, and where this day was of much importance.

Now I was very pleased to find out that Amman's cultural scene is highlighting this international day with some very interesting events.

The Spanish Embassy and Instituto Cervantes, in collaboration with the Royal Film Commission are organizing a "Feminine Short Films Festival" from Tuesday March 7th to Thursday March 9th.

Read more here.

Also, the Shoman Cinema Forum are dedicating their March regular tuesday film screenings to topics focusing on women and women rights issues. Four very interesting international films will be screened, every Tuesday at 6:30 PM. Check them out here.

Lisa asked me the other day whether or not I was a feminist, and I told her that I don't really know yet. As a young woman in this society, I have a lot of thoughts and opinions on the issue of gender equity, and gender stereotypes. There were times when I thought of myself as a feminist, but then I got to a point of questioning all the baggage that comes with allowing yourself to adopt a certain label... you have to really know what you're talking about, be in harmony with yourself about it, and know fully well what it means to you.

So I'm posing this question here (and not necessarily just to the ladies)

What does feminism mean to you?

What are your thoughts on the International Women's Day?

Don't hold back :)

On Resolutions, Running, and Reading

I haven't properly blogged in such a while. A lot has been going on, exciting stuff, and confusing stuff as well. I'm not in the most articulate of moods, but I feel like jotting down a few thoughts…

- Along with "Happy Birthday", people were asking me "so how does it feel to be 23?" My answer is: EXCITING! I'm starting a new stage in life; four and half years of engineering at university have been wrapped up, a dynamic and intense job is ahead of me, thrilling projects that I will write about in due time, and tons of newly found energy. It's exciting to be 23 ;)

- The Dead Sea Marathon is on April 7th this year, and finally, after years of failed attempts, I managed to start preparing myself ahead of time (for the 21 Km – half marathon). While I would much rather run in the open air out in the streets, my dear Amman does not accommodate that well. I really do not feel like being harassed or followed around or getting too many comments… even if I know I shouldn't care less. So… the gym it is, and it's awesome to be getting back in shape. Going in the early morning is the best, and I love seeing those old people taking care of themselves as they stroll on the treadmill at speed 5. People here wear themselves out with so many responsibilities, mostly obligations to family, children and relatives, and by the time they're free enough to start paying attention to themselves, they find that age has gone by and that they're old and tired.
Anyhow, as I'm sharing resolutions, here's one for you… I will not wait till I have heart problems or excess fat or fatigue to realize that I have to exercise regularly… AND nothing is as liberating and stress-reducing as running ;)

- The other day I was downtown, getting some word on the street for an article I was working on. One of the people I talked to was 3ammo Hassan Abu Ali, owner of the famous old book kiosk right next to the original Habibah… such a pleasant, well-read, and well-versed old man, ready to talk to you about politics, history, and culture, and to recommend some irresistible books. His face lit and his eyes sparkled when I asked him if he had any books by Turki Al-Hamad, whom I had heard so much about. He took out six or seven books, and recommended two to start with. He also asked me if I had read "Banat Al-Riyadh", and when I said No he just made me buy a copy. Yes yes I can't say No to books! It doesn't bother me that I do not have time to read all of them now, because there's always someone in the house who'd read them. My mom and two of my sisters have already finished "Banat Al-Riyadh", and their opinions on it varied. According to mom, it was a bit disappointing in terms of writing quality. She also felt that the title is not quite right because the story is not representative of all girls in Riyadh. Rania said it was a good and pleasant read. Still on Arabic books, I have Amin Maaloof's "Samarkand", Fadwa Touqan's Memoirs, and Abdel Rahman Munif's "Story of a City". Here's a reason why I crave more hours in the day. Oh well, I'll just have to try and do it one book at a time.

- If you're wondering where you can have good Chinese food in Amman, look no further than Abu-Khalil's Chinese restaurant in Rainbow Street. I was reminded of that as I spent a wonderful time with my best friends there tonight, enjoying hearty laughs, a lovely setting, and an exquisitely good meal. And just to let you know, the worst Chinese restaurant I've been to is the one on the way to "Deir Ghbar", close to the American Embassy, can't remember the name. That was a horrendous experience, with the worst food and service I had ever seen.